Crossfire
by Pacce
Summary: Beyond the Grave is reawkened on Gunsmoke and is forced to hunt down Vash the Stampede. Horrors ensue. Total spoilers for both Gungrave and Trigun. Strong Language and Intense Violence. R&R Formerly titled Gungrave.
1. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Gungrave

By Chibiman 

Yep this is being an AU fic.  For no matter how much you squint, turn your head, or cough there is no way this could have occurred in Trigun as we know it.  I think someone else did this cross over as well, but I didn't read it so screw 'em cause my version's probably better.  Enjoy.  Swearing, spoilers for the whole show, and, of course, Gungrave and Trigun belong to those who are not myself.  Also, this was made based off the game of Gungrave, not the recently released anime, so forgive me if it doesn't match up.

This particular story starts aboard the Flying Ship.  Two men are walking through the vast storehouse in the bowels of the ship.

Younger Man: Jesus H. Christ!  I mean, I knew doing inventory would be boring, but this place probably stretches a mile in all directions.

Older Man: Yep, as we abandoned Earth we took every piece of society or scientific advancement we could fit into our holds.  Too bad for us though that most of the people who knew what this stuff was died in the Big Fall.  Every so often one of the tech guys sends us to grab some doo hickey off the shelves and then he pokes it for a while before he realizes it's an old Mr. Coffee.

Younger Man: Mr. Coffee?

OM: Before your time son, before your time…

The two men continue down the racks of oddities making sure every numbered item is in it's designated place.  The two stop at a metal block the size of a one-car garage.  It has a monitor and a few controls on a panel that juts outwards.

YM: Unknown item number 666…I suppose it would be stupid to ask what the hell this thing is.

OM: Well according to this initial report from god knows how long ago it's some sort of freezing chamber, contained within is some form of organic life but no vitals present so they don't think it's a cryogenic stasis chamber.

YM: (Examining the box) There's a big switch that says "Activate" on the side here.  Why hasn't anyone, you know, activated it?

OM: Maybe they think is some sort of biological weapon, but if you're so damned curious why don't YOU press the button.  (Smiles wickedly to himself thinking he's scared the boy…until he hears a beeping sound) What did you just do!?

YM: I activated it.

The sides of the box begins to separate and a whitish gas hisses out the openings.  The two men jump back as the four sides simply drop to the floor.  The part that was the front has a large locker standing erect at the end of the now-platform blocking the men's vision of the center.  The two step onto the platform and peer into the mist.  In the center is a large chair on top of which rests a large man with grayish hair and a large scar covering the left side of his face.  He is dressed in a large black trench coat, white gloves, black pants with chaps, and boots.  His skin is covered in ice crystals and he is clutching a pair of glasses in his hand.

OM: That is one heck of a thoroughly refrigerated dead guy.

YM: Do you think we should try to shut him back up.

The two men jump back as his right eye opens.  The two men are quaking where they stand as he stands up with a series of cracking sounds.  He pushes his glasses onto his face; the left frame of the glasses has a black sheet with a silver cross on it, and grabs a large Coffin shaped thing from behind the chair and chains it to both arms so that it hangs behind him.  The younger man backs up against the locker as the Dead Man walks forward.  The young man cringes as the Dead Man lifts up his hand thrusts it toward the young man's face.  The young man opens his eyes to see the man pulling a large black cowboy hat from the locker and placing it firmly on his head.  The two men watch in stunned silence as he walks across the room and opens a door to a long since destroyed part of the ship.  Beyond the door now is nothing but wind and sky, the Man walks out and plummets as the two run towards the doorway and watch him fall.  We see him crash loudly into the ground making a sandy crater from the impact.  The man from Beyond the Grave stands up and then begins to walk forward as if noting happened.

YM: (Looking at the older man) So, what should we do now.

We see the two men walking away from the again closed box with a sign attached to it proclaiming in large letters: DO NOT TOUCH. 

**Gungrave**

-Jenora Rock-

We see a series of transports pull into town.  Several men proceed down the street dragging three women along with them.  They file into the local tavern where a Sax player (Midvalley) is jazzing it up.  The crowd begins to mutter as they walk past.

Man #1: Look, it's the Roderick Thieves.

Man #2: Yeah, but who are those girls?

Man #1: They must be captives.

Man #3: They really make me sick.

A mohawked Roderick starts tormenting the liquor boy and is in general being mean spirited when he notices one of his captives gazing at the blue haired gent (Legato Bluesummers) at the end of the bar.  He promptly smacks her to the floor.

Nagi (Mohawk): You bitch!  You were lookin' at him!  You know I can't stand it when you do that! (Begins stomping on her back) I can't stand it!!

[Creeeeak] Suddenly everyone turns to the other end of the bar where Grave stands up from his stool.  He turns and stares directly at Nagi who gives the girl one more stomp and then walks over to the ominous looking man in black.

Nagi: (Getting in Grave's face)  You got a problem one-eye?  Got something to say!? (Reaches into his coat pulls out his gun)  Well, I'm all ears.

[Click] Grave in a lighting fast movement pulls out his twin guns, the Cerberos, and puts one to Nagi's face and the other to his chest.  Legato puts down his fork and looks intently at the two.  Nagi raises his pistol and Grave pulls both triggers sending blood, brain, and Nagi flying against the back wall.  Midvalley starts to play something a little more fast paced.  The Roderick's all pull out their guns as Grave dives to the side going behind the bar and firing two shots while in mid-air blowing off one Roderick's leg above the knee and nailing another in the eye.  Grave grabs the bartender and chucks him onto a table in the far corner right before the Rodericks open fire annihilating most of the bar.  They gaze into the smoke as Grave does a somersault into the air firing wildly.  The Rodericks break in both directions and only lose one more man and a fine couch in the wild hail of bullets.  Grave lands on top of the ruined bar and watches as the men take strategic positions behind beams around the bar.  Grave looks over at Legato, the only person who hasn't dived for cover, who has leaned forward against the bar and is smiling at him.

Spiky Haired Commander: (Taking advantage of Grave's distraction) Pincer attack!!

Two men with shotguns jump out on either side of the bar and fire just as Grave dives forward.  The two men are taken out by each other's buckshot, which flies around Legato cracking into the bar and whizzing through his hair.  Grave crushes a table as he rolls over it, stopping in a crouch.  A man with an Uzi jumps out and opens fire.  Grave quickly spins around smacking his Coffin into the cloud of bullets which ricochet across the room, three of which slap into the gunman's forehead.  Grave then begins to fire wildly in the center of the room, spinning around, leaping into the air, rounding it off by firing with one gun out in front of him and the other hoisted over his head.  We see his dozens of bullet casings hitting the ground as we are shown the beams full of bullet holes and the remaining Rodericks  falling to the ground into pools of their own blood.  Grave turns around and puts one gun over the side of his face as he thrusts the other towards the ground  and lets out a heavy sigh. 

Spiky Haired Commander: (Jumps out from behind a beam across the room, blood pouring from his left shoulder.  Grave turns around quickly) DIE!!

He fires a single shot from his pistol straight at Grave's face.  There's a blue flash and the bullet stops less than an inch in front of Grave's face, it falls to the floor.  Grave walks over to the man who starts screaming and firing shot after shot at Grave, each bullet falling to the floor as it reaches Grave.  Once he is directly in front of him, Grave thrusts his shoulder forward sending the Coffin over his head crushing the man and smashing through the floor.  Grave then shrugs his shoulder back quickly, pulling his bloodstained Coffin out of the crater.  He walks over to the blood splattered girls and pulls them to their feet.  They look at him in bewilderment as he walks out the tavern.  Legato watches him go, and then looks up.

Legato: Yes, that was quite the display.  Yes, of course, a test _is_ in order.

Legato looks over at Midvalley.  Midvalley, whose band mates took a few stray bullets, gulps.

Grave is standing in the dessert, not to far from town, with dozens of Rodericks surrounding him.  The one with a scar down his face addresses Grave.

Lucky: The Rodericks are bound by bonds that go infinitely deeper and stronger than a simply family relationship.  We will avenge our brethren, no matter who the fool is.  That's the Roderick way.  (He's distracted by the approach of Legato) Huh?  Hey, you!  Get lost!

Legato: (Continuing his approach) My, but there are a lot of you.  No matter, I must talk to that man, you may all die now.

The Roderick leader looks confused and is about to say something when he and all his men suddenly turn their heads sharply in unison.  A sickening cracking sound fills the air as they all tumble to the ground.  Grave eyes Legato up and down.

Legato: I want to make a deal.


	2. The Massacre of the GungHo Guns

Legato starts to walk in a circle around Grave.  Graves keeps Legato's gaze and his finger on the trigger.  Legato stops walking and looks thoughtful.

Legato: My, my.  You ARE interesting.  A loyal man betrayed by his closest friend, killed for refusing to join in a grab for power. (Pauses) A common story, however, this story has a twist.  The man is brought back from the dead in order to seek his vengeance.  He slaughters each of his betrayers down to the last man.  His death avenged and "justice" restored he sets out to live a normal life…heh, as if a dead man can "live" a normal anything.  The methods used to bring about his "unlife" had a price.  The one he cared about grew old over time and eventually died.  After her death he did not wish to continue his existence and attempted to put himself to sleep for all time.  But now, he awakens to a new world which he can never be a part of.  (Looks him dead in the eye) Did I miss anything, Brandon?

Grave quickly moves to pull up his guns for an attack, but his arms suddenly bend painfully back.  A look of surprise and pain covers his face as Legato walks up to him.

Legato: I do apologize.  That was the name of a man who died, you're Grave.  Right.  Got it.  I see that a dead man can still feel pain, that's good…  In any case I came here about a deal, but first my Master requires a test.

Legato snaps his fingers and Monev the Gale leaps off a nearby rock formation landing in between Legato and Grave.  His mask in place and his wrist gattling guns loaded and ready to fire.

Legato: This is Monev the Gale, he is a man whom failed in his mission.  Which means he has to die, but I'm giving him a second chance: if he kills you, he may go free.  You can choose to not participate in which case you'll simply die.  Begin.

Grave falls forward, released from Legato's power, as the gattling guns on Monev's wrists start to turn.  Monev's guns begin shooting rapidly, forming a trail in the sand leading to Grave.  When the bullets are just about to reach him Grave leaps in the air and fires once.  Monev's bloodied facemask lands at Legato's feet with a large, jagged hole in the center.

Legato: (Staring into the sky) No, that was not adequate.  There must be a more thorough test.  Yes Master; let's see how he fares against all ten Gung-Ho Guns.

Grave stands prone, with a small snap of sound a woman is leaning against his back, gun drawn.  She is thoughtfully looking at the Luger in her hands.

Dominique: My name is Dominique the Cyclops and I thought it would only be fair to warn you.  You see, no matter how powerful those guns of yours are and no matter how fast you move, you can't defeat me.

Grave whips around and fires …at the thin air she once occupied as Dominique is standing directly to the left of him with her gun three inches from his temple.  Dominique tsks just before she fires seven  times. Grave leaps backwards as the first six shots all fall under a flash of  blue.  The seventh shot goes through the flash with a loud crack and grazes Grave's left arm.  He hits the ground firing wildly, but she's already gone.  She appears with her gun directly in his face, smiling.

Dominique: You see, not even your energy shield can save you.

As she pulls the trigger, Grave's Coffin slams her to the side.  She vanishes in mid air a look of surprise on her face.  A small jet engine in the center of the back causes both Grave and the Coffin to spin madly, but Grave slams down the large spike at the base of his Coffin into the soil.  Dominique keeps appearing and firing and missing her target completely due to his rapid spinning.  Grave pulls out the lever on the back and squeezes the trigger firing the large machine gun sticking out of the top.  Dominique vanishes as the bullets spray in all directions blasting hole in large rock formations.  As the Coffin's spinning stops, Grave looks over to the tattered form of Dominique thrown against a stone from the several bullets that blew ragged holes in torso.  Needless to say, she is very dead.  Legato, somehow unharmed by the bullet cyclone, walks over a dune clapping softly.

Legato: A clever move.  You beat her with the only thing that isn't affected by her Demon's Eye, a machine.

Grave only glares as him before his attention is quickly drawn to something above him, and he dives to the side half-a-second before a twirling black shape crashes into the ground with a large blast of sand.  As the sand begins to clear we see Grave standing with his guns aimed at the center of the cloud which dissipates revealing a crater and at the heart is Hoppard the Gauntlet.

Hoppard: (Mock sad)You dodged my sneak attack…

Before he can say another thing Grave begins to blaze away with the Cerebos, but with a small move Hoppard moves his shield in front of him.  The bullets glance off splattering harmlessly into the sand.

Hoppard: (Giggling) Unlike your stupid light shield, my Götterer is invincible!  (He pushes off the ground and into the air) I'LL SMASH YOU LIKE A BUG!!!!!!!

Grave stands prone watching Hoppard hurtle high into the air.  With his right hand he slides down a panel on his Coffin and pulls out a small black sphere with a silver cross emblazoned on the surface.  He throws the sphere at the now descending Hoppard.  (!SLOW MOTION SCENE!)  Hoppard watches the sphere fly towards him until it passes right next to his face.  On the ground Grave pushes the button on a pen shaped device and high in the sky, a rather large explosion.  The Götterer crashes to the ground burring itself deep into the sand.  Grave quickly turns around and grabs a large metal spike that was flying towards him and hurtles it back.  The spike impales a stunned E.G. Mine who dies soundlessly staring at Grave silhouetted by the burning debris of Hoppard.

Legato: (Sighs) How disappointing of you, I thought you more clever than this…

Grave looks to Legato but he's looking off to the horizon.  Or to be more specific at the small army of identical white haired men approaching carrying automatic weapons.  Grave jams his Coffin into the sand and leans against it as the volley of the fire fills the air.  Grave sticks his guns out on either side of his Coffin and fires blindly knocking down several of the men.  The men keep marching and even the ones who are shot to the ground continue to drag their mangled bodies.  As they begin to swarm Grave puts his guns in the leg holsters and switches to the Coffin's large machine gun and starts blowing clusters of them into bloodless piles.  When all the pieces have settled to the ground, Grave walks over and nudges one of the large destroyed puppets with his foot.  Satisfied, Grave walks away, but a soft rumbling beings to sound and he turns to a living nightmare.  The various pieces are reforming forming a pair large bladed monstrosities, they're horrific forms a mockery of humanity.  Grave starts blasting at what appears to be their heads, but with no effect.  Grave bares his teeth in frustration and leaps onto one of the hulks and jams in his guns in hope of hitting something that will hurt it.  As he pumps round after round into its "body" he notices something glint in the setting sun.  He looks closer and sees a series of hundreds of very thin strings.  Grave grabs a handful of the strings and jumps as the one he was riding jams one of it's bladed appendages into it's self.   Grave grasps as many of the stings on the other before jumping to the ground.   Some distance away, Leonof looks down to as the strings tighten around his gloved fingers.  Grave has a bundle of strings wrapped around his forearm and held in his other hand, he twists around and pulls them down.  Even over the distance you  can hear the scream.  Leonof lies on the ground, face blood stained, convulsing ever slower until he stops moving all together.

Grave drops the loose strings to the ground and they are taken by the wind.  The ground begins to rumble and Grave quickly pulls his gun and begins scanning for the attacker.  Seeing nothing approaching, Grave slowly looks down.  A large gray hand bursts through the sand and grabs him around the midsection, binding his arms.  Grey the Ninelives stands up and holds Grave in front of his face with a "smile".  He throws Grave against a rock formation and Grave crawls up to his knees and shoots Grey in both eyes.  The mushroomed bullets fall off the undamaged eyes as Grey swiftly kicks Grave forty feet.  While lying in the sand Grave coughs up some blood and then pulls himself up using his Coffin.  Grey watches with mild curiosity as Grave gets back to a standing position and with his arms held limply at his side, Grave's Coffin splits in four places revealing tubes and a set four rockets up into the air and then blast towards Grey with a satisfying series of explosions.  Grave allows himself to smile looking at the flaming smoke, but that smile is short lived as the wind clears the smoke revealing a slightly singed Grey the Ninelives.  Grey extends both arms and Grave's jaw actually goes slack for a moment as the hands split into large machine guns and Grey's chest opens revealing six rocket launchers.  Grey fires everything he's got making the area dense with explosive clouds and large caliber bullets.  Grey actually manages to look surprised as he sees Grave running _towards_ him.  As Grey adjusts his aim, Grave goes into a slide, holding the top of his Coffin to his shoulder.  A stand drops from the side allowing him to line up the scope that just popped out in front of his eye, so he can properly aim the VERY LARGE cannon that has sprung out the other side.  Grave pulls the trigger with an explosion so powerful as to shake the rocks covering the landscape.  Grave lowers the Coffin revealing Grey with a large circle blown out of his left side, as in his left side is gone to the point that the bottom of his left leg is standing independently as the rest of him topples to the ground.

The ground begins to rumble again and Grave immediately looks at Grey who is still a pile of scrap.  In front of him a column of sand bursts forth revealing a gigantic razor toothed worm and twenty feet to the side a small blonde boy.

Zazie: I'm Zazie the Beast, and while you may have felled my companions you have no chance of survival against the ancient beasts that dwell in the sand.  You'll be swallowed whole…

He is interrupted as Grave fires a single rocket form the bottom of his Coffin into the open mouth of the worm blowing its hideous head off.  The boy looks in horror as the giant headless mass falls towards him.  Any screams Zazie may have given out are muted by the creature's body crashing to the ground.

Grave is allowed not a moment before a bullet blats through his right leg and drills itself into the ground.  Grave drops to his left knee.  He looks around for any sign of the attacker, then to his bleeding leg, and then to the bullet hole in the ground.  He carefully sets his right gun against the hole lining it up so the back of the gun matches the angle of the bullet dug deep in the sand and then he fires one shot.  The flaming bullet flies through the air towards a nearby cliff upon which lies Cain the Longshot, it flies up the barrel of Cain's gun and bursts out the back of the gun and, shortly after, the back of Cain's head.

Grave knells on the ground bleeding and breathing heavily as soft footsteps forces him to turn to face the latest super powered killing freak.  He's a man dressed in a Kimono and brandishing a sword.  His large hat is taken by the wind and he stands staring at Grave.

Rai-Dei: I am Rai-Dei the Blade and while I have nothing against you personally I have come to…

His introduction speech is cut short as Grave shoots him in the chest blowing him to the ground.  Grave tightly bandages his leg with a scrap of cloth from one of the puppets and drags himself to his feet and starts to lift his guns towards Legato.

Legato: Don't be so hasty, there's still one to go.

A handsome well dressed man carrying a saxophone steps from behind a large boulder.  Grave is sweating heavily and wipes some from his forehead before it can cloud his vision.  The handsome man leans the sax against his shoulder and smiles.

Midvalley: I am Midvalley the Hornfreak, last of the Gung-ho Guns.  Join me for a number.

Grave looks from Midvalley to Legato and back.  Grave sighs and slowly aims at Midvalley's smiling face with his right gun.  Midvalley shrugs and hangs his sax loosely beside him.  (!Slow Motion!) Grave squeezes the trigger and sends a flaming bullet towards him.  Midvalley inhales and brings the sax to his lips.  (!Real Time!) A deafening note blasts out and sends the bullet flying back to Grave.  Grave ducks and the bullet strikes the cross on his hat tearing it from his head.  Grave lies on all fours staring in shock.

Midvalley: (Clears throat) Okay, now that I'm warmed up...how about some jazz?

Midvalley inhales and Grave grabs his hat and jumps to the left as a jazzy tune is belted out.  Not a moment later everything in a 10 foot diameter explodes.  Grave starts running, pulling on his hat, and the ring of destruction follows as Midvalley turns to follow.  Graves jumps behind a large boulder and presses his back to the rock to catch his breath.  Midvalley smirks as he "aims" the saxophone.  The rock Grave was leaning against explodes into a million fragments as Grave is hurtled into the air.  He hits the ground sliding to a stop next to the shredded corpse of Dominique.

Midvalley: You have to be cool, you know.  Always go with the flow, even if it means riding it to your destruction.  (Raises the sax to his lips) Sorry, but it's time to for the finale…

Grave, on all fours, looks from Midvalley to Legato, who smiled darkly at him, and then to Dominique's corpse.  He looks intently at the metal eye patch.  He dives for her body and grabs it up into his arms and turns her head to face Midvalley.

Midvalley: (A look of panic) No!  (Sucks in air sharply for the final note)

Grave brings up his left gun and cracks her eye patch with the butt of his gun.  Midvalley blasts out his deadly notes an instant later.  He sees the ruin of her body being torn to bits, but no sign of Grave.  His eyes, wide with panic, dart from left to right looking for a sign of Grave.  White gloved hands clap over his mouth and forehead.  Grave twists Midvalley's head to the right with an audible snap and Grave lets the limp body fall to the ground, Midvalley still holding his horn.  Grave looks at Legato with a mix of hatred and sorrow.


	3. An Offer He Can't Refuse

Author's Note: From now on this shall be a regularly updated story until its conclusion. On with the show.

Legato: (Smiling wider then ever) That was…impressive. You're not only strong, but agile and resourceful. My Master agrees that you will be enough for what is planned next. Now come here and we shall discuss the details of the plan.

Grave walks within half a foot of Legato and glares down at him. He brings both his guns up and puts the barrels against either side of Legato's head. However, his fingers suddenly bend painfully back away from the triggers.

Legato: (Smile gone from his face) Your attempts to murder me are getting tiresome. Now sit down.

Grave drops both his guns behind him and then he drops like a stone on top of them. His legs then cross themselves and his hands grip his knees firmly.

Legato: (Smiling wickedly again) Good boy. Now sit quietly and listen.

Legato shuts his eyes for a moment and Grave's eye goes wide. Legato walks over and crouches down next to where Grave is sitting he looks thoughtfully at Grave's profile. Grave is still staring straight forward, but he's not seeing what's around him. In front of him stands Vash the Stampede, who suddenly darts to the left and leaps to the side pulling out his gun and firing, seemingly, at Grave.

Legato: (Whispering in Grave's ear) This man is Vash the Stampede, you're going to hunt him down and kill him…or you'll be killed by him. Neither will be an easy task, even for someone of your skill.

Grave watches a montage of Vash fighting with the Bad Lads, Nebraska Family, and pretty much all the enemies up to this point in the anime, with the exception of Monev the Gale (in other words, he is shown all of Vash's combat moves except the Hidden Gun).

Legato: As you notice, he does not kill his opponents. My master would like you to be the one to break this trend of his. I know how strong you are, he can't stop you without killing you. But, he will try to "talk you out of it" as it were. When he does this, kill his friends.

Grave glares at Legato.

Legato: He has three traveling companions: a priest and two women. Unbeknownst to him the priest is the disciple of the last remaining Gung-Ho Gun. (Pauses) I think it would be best to kill him to begin with, it'll make him angry and that much closer to killing you. I'll arrange a meeting with you and the priest; I want you to kill him and his master who'll be waiting in the wings. My master no longer has any use for the Gung-Ho Guns with you here.

Legato stands and walks a short distance away from Grave. Grave watches Legato, but remains where he is.

Legato: However, if he still refuses to kill you even after his friends are dead… my master would prefer if you made his death as swift as possible. He also would like this man to have an open casket funeral, so please, shoot him in that bleeding heart of his. Afterwards you'll be free to go where ever you wish. (Turns around to face Grave) But, if you should take a fall during this fight, or if you hesitate to pull the trigger for even a moment; I will have you march from town to town guns blazing until you choke on the ashes of every worthless human you kill.

Grave is released from Legato's power and collapses to the ground breathing heavily. Legato picks up Grave's guns and puts them back into the Coffin. Legato then pulls him back onto his feet despite the fact that Grave is almost double his size.

Legato: You'll meet the priest in a church on the outskirts of Augusta. It's about three thousand iles (points to the left) that way. The meeting will be in three weeks from today that should give you plenty of time.

Legato's carriage pulls up and he silently enters. As the carriage turns around to speed away Legato looks at Grave through the small window and waves. Graves turns around and walks toward the suns low on the horizon.

-Jenora Rock-

Vash the Stampede walks into town carrying a two person car seat on his back and sitting on top the car seat is Meryl Stryfe and Millie Thompson. Vash gently sets the seat down and collapses.

Meryl: At last, we're finally here.

Millie: (Looking down at Vash): You look bad, are you alright?

Vash: (Panting) How can you even have the nerve to ask me that!?

Meryl dangles a canteen of water in front of Vash's face and lets out a taunting laugh. Vash snatches the canteen and jumps up gulping the contents as quickly as possible.

Vash: (Joyously shouting) I'm alive again! Boy, that was really close.

Millie: (Looking down the street) Hey, what's going on there?

In front of the nearby saloon, a crowd has formed around the entrance. Vash and the girls elbow past through the crowd. Vash approaches the waiter (You know, the one who was harassed by the Rodericks) who is standing outside the door.

Vash: (Trying to peek past him) Hey, what's going on here?

Waiter: (Almost dazed) You wouldn't believe it; some guy wasted the Roderick gang. We got over a dozen guys all shot up in here.

Meryl pushes past him and crouches down by the nearest body.

Waiter: Hey! You shouldn't be in here!

Meryl: Its okay, I'm Meryl Stryfe with…

Vash: (Walking past the man with Millie right behind him) The Bernardelli Insurance Society. She's a disaster investigator, you know. Oh…!

Vash grimaces at the sight of the bodies strewn around the blood splattered room. The place is blown to shambles. Millie looks around with barely contained fear; she approaches a crater in the floor

Millie: Meryl, this doesn't look like a normal gunfight.

Millie looks into the crater Grave made with his coffin and lets out a yelp and backs away several paces.

Waiter: Yeah, that's not exactly something I think a lady should see.

As the waiter is talking Vash walks over to the hole and looks in. He immediately cups his hand to his mouth and runs to the nearest trash can and retches.

Waiter: (To Meryl who stands up from examining the body) Well, uh, since you all are from Bernardelli, I guess should give you a statement of what happened here. For the record or whatever.

The waiter goes to sit at one of the remaining tables, the others join him.

Waiter: Well, the Roderick's came in here to celebrate their latest plundering. They had brought a couple of ladies, uh captives that is. Well, one of the captives started to stare at a guy at the bar when one of the Rodericks, that fellow (points to the mess that was once a man against the far wall), he started smacking the lady around. (Gets a remorseful look on his face) You have to understand they were all well armed, there was nothing we could do to get them to stop.

Vash: It's alright, go on.

Waiter: Well, that's when this big guy sitting at the other end of the bar, he got up as if he had something to say. Now this guy was about twice the size of you (indicates Vash) and he was dressed all in black. He also had this weird coffin shaped, er, _thing_ chained to him. Besides that his face caught my attention, he long hair, glasses, and a big hat on, but from what I could see he looked kind of old and haggard a bit, I could see part of a scar on the left side. Uh, but yeah, when he stood up the guy who was abusing the lady walked over to him and pulled his gun on him. That's when things got ugly. The Big Guy pulls out the two biggest handguns I've ever seen and just blows the guy clear across the room. After that, we all kind of ran and hid, but I couldn't find a good spot so I got to see it all go down. He was jumping around the room like an acrobat and just gunning them down as they came. Here's where things get even more weird, he ended up missing one who got the drop him and the Roderick got off a shot right at the Big Guy's face. I see this flash of like blue light and the bullet has stopped in mid-air. The Roderick keeps on firing as the Big Guy walks towards him, but nothing reaches him and then he flipped his Coffin forward and uh… (Points to the crater).

Meryl: What did he do afterward?

Waiter: After the shoot out, he just lifts the captive ladies onto their feet and just walks out. The ladies are at the Sheriff's station by the way, kind of in shock. It was amazing in the whole fiasco he managed to avoid any casualties. I mean, a couple musicians caught a little buckshot and the bartender got a dislocated shoulder when the Big Guy tossed him out of the way, but they should be fine.

Vash: (Looking sadly around the room) I see a lot of casualties from where I'm sitting.

Vash pushes away from the table, puts on his sunglasses, and walks across the room. The waiter drops his head a little with an apologetic look on his face.

Meryl: When I was looking at the body by the door I noticed something odd. His gun shot wounds are all surrounded by scorch marks and heat blisters.

Vash: (Looking at the shot up wooden beams) And all the wood is charred…

The waiter gets up and walks over to the bar. He picks up a small set of tongs and an ashtray with a black bullet the size of a thumb inside it. He goes back to the table.

Waiter: (To Meryl) Hold out your hand.

Meryl puts out her open hand and the bartender tips the ashtray so the bullet rolls out onto her hand. She yelps and drops the bullet onto the table.

Meryl: (Holding her hand) That's really hot!

Waiter: We found that imbedded in a metal pole. We found about three hours ago.

Millie: (Cautiously touches the bullet and then pulls her hand away) And it's still this hot?!

The waiter picks up the bullet with the tongs and then drops it in a glass of water. The water hisses out a small bit of steam as the bullet sinks to the bottom. Vash walks over and pulls the bullet out of the glass. He rolls it in his fingers and takes notice of the silver cross emblazoned on one side.

Vash: Can I keep this?

Waiter: Sure, we got tons around here.

Vash: (looking dead serious) I have kind of an odd question, was there a man in a white coat here, the coat would have a weird thing that looks like a torture device sticking out of the shoulder.

Waiter: (Slightly confused) Yeah actually, that was the guy the one girl was staring at. There was something really odd about that guy. When the shooting started he just kept sitting there (indicates the one remaining bar stool) and he was _smiling_. After it was all done he muttered something while looking up and then just left after the Big Guy. (Shudders) He kind of freaked me out.

Vash: Where is the nearest hotel?

Waiter: Um, there's one just a little ways down the street.

Vash: Thanks for all the info. (To the girls) Come on, we're going.

Meryl looks like she wants to protest but follows him to the door along with Millie. As they're about to go out the door the waiter runs over to them.

Waiter: Something just occurred to me, in the whole time the Big Guy was blasting away with those big guns of his, he never reloaded. Not once…

-Hours Later-

Vash and the girls are sitting in the hotel's bar/restaurant. Meryl and Millie are filling out paperwork on the incident as Vash stares at the black bullet in his hand. The girls gather up their paperwork.

Millie: Mr. Vash, we're going to turn in so…

Vash doesn't even look up. Millie sighs and starts walking away with Meryl close by.

Vash: (Thinking) _Legato is at the bar where this man in black massacres a bunch of thugs only a few hours before I show up, it can't be a coincidence. And this man in black, he's capable of such slaughter and yet he went out of his way to protect these people, but if he's connected to Legato… It doesn't make sense._

Millie: (Off camera gasp) You!?

Vash hears a gun cock and quickly looks up to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. A gun held by…

Wolfwood: Vash the Stampede, we have to talk.


End file.
